Armored war apparatus



w P. C. BROADWAY.

ARMORED WAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 1,303,764. Patented May 13, 1919.

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P. C. BROADWAY.

AR'MORED WAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man APR. 1a. 1918.

Patent ed May13, 1919.

2 snsam-susn 2.

.Pyom-uma. wasmuanm. n. c.

ms NORRIS PEYERS cov PRENTICE C. BROADWAY, 0F ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINL ARMORED WAR APPARATUS.

Application filed April 18, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PRENTICE CLIFTON BROADWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Asheville, in the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armored War Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of war apparatus and particularly to the recently developed type known as the tank or mobile land fort having the capacity of carrying an effective armament, while at the same time susceptible of being heavily armored as well as capable'of facile manipulation and control for traveling over all kinds of terrain, and through and over obstructions.

To this end the present invention contemplates a new type of tank or fighting machine possessing all of the desirable features and advantages of the well known type of tank employed on the battle fronts during the present war, while at the same time having added features of improvement which give better protection to the crew of the machine and facilitate the passage thereof over and through substantial obstructions Also the new type of construction proposed by the present invention is intended to provide a very deceptive and evasive target for the enemy gunners, in fact providing its own camouflage in the form of an optical effect which renders the tank a confused object to sight.

With these and other objects in view which will be readily apparent to those familiar with this subject of invention the same consists in the novel construction hereinafter more fully pointed out, illustrated, and claimed.

Though susceptible of material modification in minor respects, and adaptable for use with the well known caterpillar tractor features or any other suitable .or approved form of propulsion the essential andvdistinctive features of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a top' plan view of an armored mobile fighting machine or tank embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof illus trating the K improved machine associated with a caterpillar drive Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Serial No. 229,342.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine illustrating in a general way the proposed feature of mechanically driving the end portions of the machine for obstruction-piercing and camoufiaging purposes.

Fig. & is a vertical cross sectional view on the line of Fig. 3.

Like references designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention it is proposed to construct the new-type of mobile fighting machine or tank in several sections so that the end sections may be rotatably mounted and thereby utilized not only as a camouflage and effective deflector for bullets and shells, but also as a boring or piercing prow which will bore itself, augerlike, through walls, forests, and other substantial obstructions and impediments which must be metand overcome in warfare. Accordingly, a distinctive feature of the new construction is that of a mobile tank or machine comprising a main hull section A, a rotatable prow section B and a rotatable follower section C, the latter section being interposed between the. main hull section and said prow section.

The main hull section A is preferably of a cylindrical or circular form and of a sufficient size to provide an engine compartment for the motor or motors which may be necessary for operating the rotatable sections of the machine as well as the driving or traction appurtenances thereof, and said hull section is the non-rotatable part of the machine. Also the said main hull section provides the hull or shell throughout for the machine. That is to'say, the said hull section has rigidly united with the end portions thereof as at 1 the conical. hull extensions 2 extending beyond the same to any desiredlength and forming. not only additional working space within the machine, but also providing a relatively fixed base upon which both the prowand follower sections B and C are mounted.

The prow and follower sectionsB and C may be supported for rotation on the hull extensions 2 by any suitable means which will permit free rotation thereof while at thelsame time holding said sections against endwise displacement, For instance as shown in the drawings the said sections B and C may be fitted. upon their inner. sides with circular bearing elements 3 having a loose interlocking engagement with circular guide tracks 4 on the fixed hull extensions '2, and these interlocking parts may be fitted with antifriction bearings 5 to reduce the frictional engagement between the arts.

As indicated it is proposed to positively drive the prow and follower sections B- and C. This may be done in any suitable manner,--as for instance by a driving connection drive shaft 6 geared with the motor as at 7 and carrying a pinion 8 meshing with an internally toothed gear ring 9 secured with- I in one endportion of the follower section C.

The other end portion of this follower section may be fitted with a similar gear ring 10 with'which meshes any desired number ofinions 11 carried at one end of jack 1 shafts 12 whoseotheriends carry driving .p1n1ons' 13 meshmg with a-gear ring or its equivalent 14 within one end portion of the prow section B. The jack shafts 12 may be conveniently supported in bearings 15 can ried. upon the inner side of the fixed hull extension 2, and within the plane of these bearings it is preferableito provide a sub stantial spacing ring or band 16 projecting @beyond and from the outer side of the hull extension 2 to provide a properspacing between the two sections'B and C so that caterpillar traction belts 17 may be entered into the machine at this location from the bottom thereof as suggested in Fig. 3 of "the drawmgs.

It will be observed that the sections B and C follow the conical contour of the hull extensions 2, so that the prowsection B tapers to a point to-form a piercing or boring tool for the machine. This function is assisted by securing upon the outer surfaces of the prow andfollower sections Band C the spirally I arranged steel auger flights 18.-

Thesefiights have the regular setting of a boringtool so that when the machine meets an obstruction the rotating prow B will have an auger action and bore its way through the obstruction, the section C following up this action and enlarging the -breach so that the :entiremachine' can readily pass through. .At the same time an im- 0 portant function of the spiralflights is that of facilitatingathe deflection-of bullets and shells, as well as providing axvery effective camouflage. The rotation *of these spiral .fiights, especially if painted barber-pole fashion, willwnecessarily createthe well known optical illusion of rotating objects of this kind with the result of providing great protection to the machine or tank by rendering the same an obscure and deceptive target.

Any suitable means may be utilized for propelling the machine. However it is preferable to utilize the caterpillar traction belts 17 arranged along the bottom part of the machine as-suggested in Fig. 2 and driven by the usual driving mechanism (not shown). Also it will be understood'that any suitableplatforming or gun mounts may be arranged within the machine or at the sides or top thereof as may be desired or required by the ordnance experts without in anyway affecting the essential features of the construction herein designated and pointed out.

It will therefore be understood that various changes in the form, proportlon and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to, and any approved and desired armament equipment supplied, without depart mg from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

. HIGELIIS.

2. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull having terrain-engaging traction means, and a rotatable boring prow.

3. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull provided at'the bottom with terrainengaging traction 'means, and a rotatable. .prow provided with exterior auger flights.

4.. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull carrying a rotatableboring prow and rotatable follower sections in rear of -said prow.

5. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull carrying a con-ical'prow: having boring means, and a conical fOllOWGl' SGGlZlOIl in rear 7 An armored war apparatus comprising.

a hull provided with terrain-engaging traction means, and carrying a rotatable Fprow member having external spirally arranged auger flights.

. 8. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull carrying a conical-prow member pro- 'v1ded=w1th external spirallyv arranged auger .amain hull section-provided with terrainengaging tractlon means, a conical extension carried by the saidmain. hull section, and a rotatable section mounted on said extension and provided with boring means which constitute deflectors and a camouflage.

10. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull section having a conical extension, a

conical prow journaled on said extensionand carrying boring means and a follower section journaled on said extension between the prow and the hull section and also carrying boring means.

1.1. An armored war apparatus comprising a hull section, a conical prow section having external boring means, a follower section having external boring means and interposed between the prow section and hull section, a motor, driving means between the motor and follower section, and driving means between the follower section and the prow section.

12. An armored war apparatus comprising Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the a hull section having a conical extension, and a prow section having external boring means and loosely interlocked with said extension.

13. An armored war apparatus, including a hull, a boring prow therefor, said hull having a fixed extension positioned interiorly of said boring prow, a guiding track and bearing member loosely receiving said track, said bearing member and track being interposed between said boring prow and said extension, means for actuating said boring prow and means for imparting movement to said hull. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

PRENTICE C. BROADWAY.

Witnesses:

EMORY L. GRAFF, E. N. TOMPKINS.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

